Netgear Orbi RBS50Y-2CCNAS Outdoor WiFi Range Extender

This is a little expensive up front but it works remarkably well, my kids love it and commented on improved coverage (before I even told them it was in operation). I’ve been in IT for ~25 yrs now and this is an excellent solution for home/small office use cases. I already had the Orbi system (RBR50,RBS50) for many reasons (their paid managed firewall service add-on is money well spent FYI) but mostly the system has wireless and wired backhaul options, 5 eth ports per device (no this sat) and easy mobile device management. The Orbi system is the BEST WiFi system I’ve ever used outside of corporate America high dollar enterprise class systems. This add-on outside-rated satellite actually sits inside my house behind a TV near an exterior wall and still pushes over 75MB/s (not mbit/s) to all corners of a 1 Acre property that’s half wooded. This is as good or better than enterprise coverage for a fraction of the price. Some reviews have noted water entry on the power cable port - this aspect appears very well built but again it works well enough with the unit inside the house so why chance water entry at all ?? If you need larger coverage you could easily protect it with a small enclosure (18”W x20” L x 6-8” D) would protect it (under eves on a house, barn or well pump structure etc.) so you would t have to think about it. This solution works well with a litany of real world devices incl. various generation iPads/iPhones/android devices, printers, cameras etc.

Purchased this item in October 2019 here it is now April 2020 as of now. First of all I wish to add that I already have a orbi mesh system in my house alone with a Xfinity WiFi that puts out 500 Mbps. That being said before I purchase the orbi outside extender. I have installed a Ring Flood light cam above my garage which from day one of installment. I was having all kind of issue with it booting up, not displaying a view but a black screen or just not connecting. Couldn’t understand what what was going wrong l have a high speed WiFi setup. So I invested in a Ring Chime Pro (1st gen ) with a build in WiFi signal that has only one bandwidth 2.4 ghz. So I plugged it inside the garage some what below the flood cam. It worked for a while but a couple of months later the same problem mention before. So to make a long story short after I hookup the Orbi outdoor extender October 2019 up til April of 2020. No more black screen view, disconnected issues or weak signals anymore. That’s why get this a 5 stars rating. Some of these reviewers give bad reviews on electronic devices like wireless cameras or WiFi cable modern or routers. Sometimes it’s the equipment you use and how strong your WiFi service is or one or the other.

Bought this after asking our IT guy what he recommended. He uses the Orbi as his outdoor wifi extension, so I took a chance. Yes, it’s more expensive than others, but I am incredibly pleased so far. It was simple syncing up the Orbi with my Verizon Fios router. It was easy to mount in the garage. The photo shows it with the blue light indicating a solid connection with my router. That light goes off after 3 minutes. I was actually shocked I had enough signal getting to the Orbi to mount it in the garage because I normally have a weak signal there (which is why I purchased this in the first place). Now I have a full wifi connection throughout my yard, pool area, and deck. I’m very pleased so far with the Orbi. It was worth the cost.

I usually do not write reviews but after this experience I am making an exception.The two pictures are of the bottom of the unit to show the water that collected inside and the second is the burned DC connector, the unit shorted.This unit is to be used outside and has a IP66 rating in theory.Spent over two hours registering the unit on Netgear's site, getting a case number and going though three levels of support. First comes on to review the information that you entered on line in about 30 minutes, then says that they have to transfer you to tech support. Tech support then comes on about 30 minutes later after being told it would be 5 minutes to ask scripted questions to find out that there is nothing they can do as it is a fried unit and does not turn on and says they have to transfer you to tech support. While waiting for them to come on another 30 minutes in you get a call from CA and it is Netgear calling you even though you are still on hold. Crazy process. After this third person repeats checking all the information and reading from the scripts they put you on hold for 15 minutes to come back and read three options, all of which include different fees for shipping the unit back to them ranging from $17 dollars to $49 dollars. It is there unit that failed and they want the consumer to pay for it?I like the concept of the unit but if it does not work what is the point?If you buy this unit I would highly recommend spending the $44 for the 4 year insurance so you do not have to deal with Netgear.Bought a second unit put it in a covered area. I do not know if it software or the unit but it does not connect and therefore useless. Tried all corrective measures. No support available. After almost $800 on outside units this is a product that does not last more than 14 months is my experience even when covered area so out of rain. They should pull this product